Driving under the influence... familiar message that bears repeating

December holidays include parties and get-togethers with family, friends and co-workers. Along with all the good food, holiday revelers will also find alcoholic beverages at most gatherings.

The message to drink and act responsibly when it comes to alcohol is nothing new. Today, even beer makers have commercials urging users of their product to avoid drinking and driving and to keep alcohol out of the hands of minors. Anti-drug public service announcements are also common on radio, television and in print ads. But a visit to your local Emergency Department this holiday will likely make it clear that a fair number of Americans still arenÕt getting the message.

Although the majority of people will drink carefully, about one in ten adults over age 25 will get in a car and drive while under the influence of alcohol. The number is much higher for Americans between 18 and 25Ñabout one in four. Statistics on drug impaired drivers are harder to pin down since alcohol is commonly involved in accidents in addition to the other drugs.

Virtually no one disputes that alcohol and drugs impair a driverÕs ability to operate a vehicle. Even prescription medications can impair driving skills with narcotic pain killers and tranquilizers being the most likely to do so. Different drugs have different effects on driving skills and often drugs are combined making comparisons difficult and the exact degree of impairment tougher to determine.

On the other hand, alcohol is well studied and is the drug most likely to influence a driverÕs skills. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration estimates alcohol is involved in 40 percent of all traffic accidents and 8 percent of motor vehicle fatalities. Drunk drivers injure someone every two minutes and take a life every 30 minutes resulting in the death of over 17,000 Americans last year. Three in ten of us will either be the cause or the victim of an alcohol related crash in our lifetimes. The incidents of alcohol-related accidents are more concentrated during the holidays.

It is illegal in every state for people under age 21 to consume alcohol, yet alcohol impaired driving and accidents are most frequent for this age group. Too often underage drinking is winked at as a rite of passage. Some adults allow underage drinking at home if the car keys are taken away, but this gives teens the message that some drinking is acceptable. Because adolescents act impulsively, they may not consider the risk of drinking and driving if they think their parents allow them to drink in some circumstances. Drivers under 21 are already more likely than more experienced drivers to be in a fatal car crash when not drinking, so adding alcohol dramatically increases the risk even for the lowest levels of alcohol consumption.

The higher a personÕs blood alcohol concentration (BAC) the greater the risk of a fatal car accident. At a BAC of 0.02% or about one drink, the risk of fatal crash is three times the risk with no alcohol. At the current legal limit of 0.1% (3-5 drinks) the risk is 100 times higher. The risk increases dramatically above 0.1% with most accidents occurring at BACÕs over 0.15%. It is estimated that 400 lives could be saved nationwide if all states lowered their legal alcohol limit to 0.08%--one reason why the federal government is currently encouraging all states to do so.

If you are driving, the best plan is to avoid alcohol. Despite the old myths you may have heard, coffee does not prevent alcohol impairment nor does eating food while drinking. Many people have non-drinking friends who can serve as designated drivers. Alternately, having one or two drinks early in the evening then abstaining can allow oneÕs BAC to drop to a safer level although a BAC of zero is safest. An average adultÕs BAC drops 0.01% per hour. By consulting an alcohol impairment chart such as the one at: http://www.health.org/nongovpubs/bac-chart/ one can make a reasonable estimate of how long to wait until BAC is near zero.

This holiday season and throughout the year, play it safe. We can do our part to prevent alcohol related injuries and death by avoiding driving when we have been drinking and not providing anyone under 21 the opportunity to drink at all.